Drag Race Central - NHRA
Sun, 23 Aug 2009, 10:44 AM

Top Alcohol Funny Car Round 1 Eliminations
By Jim Samuel



MOHNTON, Pa. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 25th annual Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 1996 John Fiorini                          147 Fred Tigges                  
E1                         No Time           ****WINNER****  0.140  5.738 251.20
 Qualified:             #9  5.808 248.80                        #8  5.784 250.83
10:19 a.m. - Weather conditions: air temperature 76 degrees, relative humidity 68 percent, barometer 29.28 inches, adjusted altitude 2,725 feet, track temperature 93 degrees.

Fiorini's crew could not get his car started, so Tigges had a solo run. He carried the left front wheel in the air for about 300 feet, then drifted toward the center line.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  125 Eric Lourie                          1383 Dan Roman                    
E1                   0.089  5.886 239.70     ****WINNER****  0.184  5.714 250.00
 Qualified:             #5  5.762 247.16                       #12  5.845 248.25
Lourie's car was loose from the start. He had to get off the throttle then get back on it, but he still drifted around in his lane. Roman was slower out of the gate and trailed to 330 feet, then drove past Lourie and went on to take his first NHRA national event round win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 1117 John Anderika                         308 Marc White                   
E1                   0.057  5.809 231.56     ****WINNER****  0.038  5.607 256.36
 Qualified:             #7  5.777 245.27                       #10  5.819 246.35
White had this one from start to finish.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  124 Scott McNiece                         326 Brian Harvanek               
E1                  -0.021 10.434  93.41     ****WINNER****  0.068  5.799 247.16
 Qualified:             #6  5.766 247.20                       #11  5.844 245.72
McNeice spun the tires when he launched. He pedaled it and when he got back onto the throttle, he shook the rear tires very hard and the car bounced around. Harvanek got a little bit loose at the start of the run but quickly got things straightened out for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   14 Frank Schuster                         18 DJ Cox                       
E1                   0.054  5.827 250.46     ****WINNER****  0.036  5.807 246.80
 Qualified:             #4  5.753 250.23                       #13  5.845 244.47
Schuster had the lead at 60 feet but after that, it was Cox all the way. He'll face Roman in the next round and Roman will have lane choice.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 1509 Dan Pomponio                            9 Mickey Ferro                 
E1                   0.022  5.840 248.11     ****WINNER****  0.053  5.667 253.75
 Qualified:            #14  5.900 247.07                        #3  5.745 250.88
Pomponio got out of the gate first but before they hit 60 feet, Ferro got by him and pulled away for the win. Ferro will have lane choice over Harvanek in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   35 John Bojec                           1617 Lou Sgro                     
E1                   0.056  5.742 251.67     ****WINNER****  0.031  5.720 248.20
 Qualified:            #15  5.904 246.26                        #2  5.723 253.95
Sgro had this one from start to finish and took his second national event round win. He gave up lane choice to White in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   13 Marty Nothstein                         1 Frank Manzo                  
E1                   0.050  5.665 252.85     ****WINNER****  0.042  5.564 258.86
 Qualified:            #16  5.935 236.92                        #1  5.619 257.28
Nothstein just found out why it is not good to qualify in the number 16 spot when Manzo qualifies number one. Manzo will have lane choice over Tigges in the next round. This was Manzo's 37th consecutive round win at this race.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink


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